Africa's largest homegrown private equity firm — $3.6B+ AUM
Helios Investment Partners is one of Africa's largest private equity firms, managing $3.6B+ across four funds. Backs large, growth-stage African businesses across financial services, telecoms, energy, and consumer goods. Portfolio includes Vivo Energy, Helios Towers, and Equity Bank. Invests $50M–200M tickets at growth and buyout stages.
Best for
Use when
You've built a large, revenue-generating African business and are seeking institutional private equity for a major growth or buyout transaction.
Skip when
You are at seed or Series A stage. Helios invests in large established businesses, not early-stage startups.
Helios is not a typical VC — they are Africa's largest homegrown PE fund. Relevant only for founders who have built significant revenue-generating businesses and are pursuing institutional PE rather than venture capital.
Alternatives
Consonance, Knife Capital, Prosus Ventures
South African seed and Series A VC backed by RMI Holdings
Global VC with dedicated Africa programs and a 2,700+ company network
Cairo-based VC investing in North African and Arab tech startups